Whether that means Redknapp fancies offloading the mercurial midlfielder is another matter – but a lumpy injection of cash for a January spendathon looks likely to appeal to the celebrated market mover-and-shaker.

If, as the report in The Sun newspaper suggests, Sir Alex Ferguson has taken a shine to Taarabt – after seeing him close-up at Old Trafford on Saturday in the 3-1 United victory – then online guesstimates of a fee between £10 and £20million wouldn't seem outlandish.

That would represent a cracking bit of business for Rangers on paper.

Taarabt was not at the forefront of Redknapp's thinking when he was manager at White Hart Lane, a situation which saw the Moroccan loaned out to QPR at first, with a £1million permanent move following in 2010.